Dr. Maureen Simmonds Works to Relieve Pain Through Virtual Reality

Dr. Maureen Simmonds, a physical therapy processer at UT Health San Antonio, has been working with virtual reality technology in order to study its impact on pain reduction in patients.

Her research involves patients wearing virtual reality goggles and sensors, and is based on the power of the mind and distraction. Each patient has virtual experiences that are tailored to their individual conditions, and the purpose is to test whether or not virtual reality experiences have an impact in reducing the amount of perceived pain patients feel. The games are designed to be either "pleasurable or relaxing," and are first tested on students who don't experience chronic pain.

The applications of virtual reality in even the most seemingly unlikely areas, like physical therapy, reveals the vast potential of this technology outside of entertainment.